• 

• Sport
• Other Sports
• Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor returns to action against Max Holloway on Saturday night, less than two years after being found liable for sexual assault

Conor McGregor has protested his innocence amid claims he should not be allowed to fight in the UFC after a civil court found him liable for sexual assault.

The Irishman returns to the cage this weekend when he takes on Max Holloway in a sequel to their 2013 clash which McGregor won on points. It will be McGregor's first fight since he broke his leg at the end of the first round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier five years ago.

The former two-weight world champion has since been plagued by controversy and in 2024 was found by a jury to have sexually assaulted Nikita Hand at a Dublin hotel. McGregor appealed the ruling last year but lost. In the build-up to his return, McGregor has been a guest on chat shows in the US, a move which has been criticised, including by Ms. Hand.

But asked if he understood why people take this view, he said: "I'm an innocent man, and I'll stand for my innocence until the day I go out. That is still a situation where I fight. I continue to fight. I know the truth."

Ms Hand was awarded £214,994 in damages and McGregor ordered to pay around £1.1 million in legal costs in November 2024. Following McGregor's failed appeal last December, Ms Hand said: “The public and private roads that I and my loved ones have travelled have been long and painful.

“Today marks not a victory for me but for all of those who have been treated as I have. You are never alone on your journey, if you choose not to be. Help and support is there. I say to all of us who have made or are about to make this difficult journey towards justice; Our voice is the most powerful thing we have, don’t be afraid to use it.”

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.